scam alerts

Charities typically receive more than 40 percent of their donations in the last few weeks of the year. Some December donors are motivated by the season’s mantra of giving. Others are eager for an eleventh-hour tax deduction before the year-end deadline. All should take four simple steps to get the most bang from their donation bucks: 1. Do your homework. The major and most useful watchdogs include Charity Navigator, CharityWatch and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. They rate charities on how they …

Promised incredibly (ahem) “high” returns by investing in medical marijuana stocks? It’s a (groan) pipe dream – and those touting big money can be made from medicinal toking are likely scammers, warns the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). With medical marijuana now legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia – and its recreational use recently decriminalized in Colorado and Washington state – the timing is especially ripe for such investment ripoffs. “The cannabis business has been getting a …